Hornets Predicted to Win Fewer Games This Season Than Last Season

The Charlotte Hornets went 44-38 last season. They beat the Miami Heat in the 9-10 play-in game but lost to the Orlando Magic in the 8-9 play-in game and missed the playoffs again. 

Charlotte's front office was very busy this offseason. LaMelo Ball was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miles Bridges was traded to the Phoenix Suns and Tre Mann was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Hornets acquired Naz Reid from the Timberwolves, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale from the Suns and Dennis Schroder from the Cavaliers. 

Bleacher Report believes Charlotte will go 41-41 this season in Year 1 of the post-Ball-Bridges era. Head coach Charles Lee will start Coby White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabate.

Miller and Knueppel are the new franchise players in Charlotte with Ball and Bridges gone. Both youngsters have a lot of untapped potential.

Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season, his third year in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.

Miller enters this season with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft. 

Meanwhile, even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he still had a special season for the Hornets. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 86.3% from the free-throw line and led the NBA in 3-pointers.

Many Hornets fans are excited to watch Reid play alongside White, Miller and Knueppel. Reid won the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award. He enters this season with regular-season averages of 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game and playoff averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. 

For Minnesota last season, Reid averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field, 36.2% from beyond the arc and 73.2% from the free-throw line. He recorded six double-doubles. 

White was born and raised in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He played high school basketball at Greenfield School in Wilson, North Carolina, and played college basketball at UNC.

North Carolina is special to White, which is why he's happy the Chicago Bulls traded him to the Hornets last season.   

The Hornets acquired White from the Bulls in February. In 21 games with Charlotte, White played well. He averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the foul line. 

Lee's group opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. The home opener is against the Atlanta Hawks.